Winding reel



Feb. s, 1946. w. SCHROEDER 2,394,505

WI'NDING REEL- F'iled Oct. 19, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTORT lfldlwwficfzroeder BY v Feb. 5, 1946. w. SCHROEDER WINDING REEL Filed Oct. 19, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. ZZ/L'ZZL'QM/ Schraeder Feb. 5, 1946.

W. SCHROEDER WINDING REEL Filed 001;. 19, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Wm A LAW

INVENIOR. v ZULZ/Lm5du0eder BY- M Patented Feb. 5, 1946 WINDING REEL William Schroeder, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 19, 1942, Serial No. 462,466

' '7 Claims. (01. 242-72) This invention relates to improvements in winding reels andits purpose is to provide an improved device for winding strip steel and the like in spiral coils. The present invention is an improvement upon that described and claimed in the copending application of Chester M. MacChesney for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 395,- 967, filed May 31, 1941, nowPatent No. 2,299,101, 0017.20, 1942, and upon the inventions described in the copending application of Allen B. Wilson, Serial No. 462,457, filed Octoberl9, 194=2, and in my copendirzg application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 462,465, filed October 19, 1942. 1

In said application of Chester M. MacChesney, there is disclosed an improved winding reel in which the power for effecting rotation is applied directly to the segments on which the strip material is wound and in which the expansion of the annular series of segments is efiected, and their contraction controlled, by a tapered expanding member mounted for movement by power means longitudinally of the axis of the reel; In that construction, the segments are anchored securely at one end to a rotatable member and the power for rotating the reel is applied directly to the segments at points adjacent the region where the coil of strip material is wound. When' the segments are expanded or contracted, they tilt in a member'on which they are mounted. r

In thesaid copending' application of Allen B. Wilson there is disclosed a form of winding reel which embodies the principles of construction disclosed in the' said application of Chester M. MacChesney while improving upon that construction by providing two series of core segments which are capable of being independently expanded to provide a continuous annular surface upon which the strip material is to be wound, whereas in the form of device disclosed in said application of Chester M. MacChesney the lateral edges of the segments are separated from each other in the expanded condition of the core so that the inner convolutions 01' the coil are bent lightly at the points where they contact with the edges of the segments and may have their suri aces marred at those points.

In my said prior application also, the core comprises an outer series of segments and an inner series of segments, but the inner segment are adapted by their outward movement to effect the expansion of. the outer segments through the action of coacting wedging surfaces, and a comradial direction with respect to the rotatable plete cylindrical surface is formed in the expanded condition of the core.

In the constructions disclosed in the first two of these copending applications, all of the segment are pivoted at their inner ends on a rotatable disk or drum and the outer segments shown in my said copending application are similarly pivoted. In the constructions of all of said applications, therefore, there is a tilting movement oi-some or all of the expansible segments about their inner ends when the expansion and contraction occurs which makes it impossible to maintain a complete surface contact between the wedging members which are shaped as frustums of cones and the inclined wedging surfaces 0! the segments with which they contact, except in the expanded condition of the core.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve upon all of the constructions disclosed in the copending application referred to by providing a winding reel made up of a plurality of complementary segments, in combination with means applied directly to the segments for rotating them, and means for effecting the radial expansion and contraction of the segments while maintaining their outer surfaces upon which the strip material is wound parallel at all times with the axis of rotation of the core. A further object is to provide an expansible winding reel of the type referred to in which the winding surfaces are maintained parallel with the axis of rotation during expansion and contraction and in which the expansion of the segments of the core is effected bywedges movable longitudinally of the axis of the core and adapted to maintain surface contacts over substantial areas with inclined wedging surfaces formed on the segments in all stages of the expansion or contraction. A further object of the invention is to provide a winding reel comprising a plurality of complementary segments which are capable of being expanded by the longitudinal movement of a member having wedging surfaces formed thereon when that member moves in one direction and'which are capable of being contracted upon movement of that mem. ber in the other direction by improved contracting means including a flexible member'surround. ing the segments. Still another object of the invention is to provide a winding reel made up of a, plurality of complementary segments capable of radial movement for effecting the expansion and contraction of the core of the reel in combination with means movable in one direction for expandme said segments and movable in the opp site direction for permitting the contraction thereof.

and a device operated in unison with the movement of said last-named means in said last-mentioned direction for simultaneously contracting said segments. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodie ment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal vertical section dust to the members 23. The inner diameter of the inner ring 23 is such that, when the segments l6 and I! of the core [5 are expanded, the,

outer arcuate surfaces of these segments contact with the bearing ring 23? sothat a firm bearing support is provided for the core during the operation of winding.

'At points located somewhat inwardly from the bearing unit 23, the segments I6 and I! are reduced in cross section to form longitudinally ex- *ftending arms "5 and blades l1, respectively,

through a winding reel embodying the principles to form the heads I 6 and 11, shown particuof the present invention'and illustrating the segments of the core when they are expanded; s

Fig. 2 shows a partial longitudinal vertical sec:

tion similar to that of Fig. 1, illustrating-the relative positions of the parts when the core is contracted;

Fig. 3 shows an end elevation of the winding reel illustrated in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 shown on Fig. 1;, h s s Fig. 4 shows a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

:Fig. 5 shows an end elevation of, the core of the winding reel in the contracted condition shown in Fig. 2, the viewbeing in the direction indicated by the arrows 5 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6. shows a vertical section taken on'the line 5- of Fig. 7 shows a sectional view taken on the line 1 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 8 shows a sectionalview taken on the line of the housing. The gear 25 meshes with a driv- As illustrated in the drawings, the improved winding reel comprises a core l5 made up of a plurality of outer segments I 6 and a plurality of inner segments l1 which are arranged'tov be expanded by a plurality of axially movable expanding members I8, I 9 and 20. The outer segments 6 are provided with arcuate surfaces 16 and the inner segments 11 are similarly provided. with outer arcuate surfaces I l and, when the core is expanded, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the

. surfaces l6 and I i being arranged alternately,

form a continuous cylinder upon which a'coil of strip steel 2! or the like is adapted to be Wound.

The outer end portions of the segments !6 and l1, upon which the winding takes place, are gen erally triangular in cross section, as shown'in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The outer s'egmentslfi are each provided with inwardly converging wedging surfaces H5 which are adapted to coact with similarly inclined outwardly converging wedging surfaces I? formed upon the inner segments.

' All of the segments l6 and I! are of considerable length and extend into a housing 22 through an 'opening 22 in the end wall thereof, as shown in; Fig. 1. Within this opening 22 there is mounted-a roller bearing unit 23 comprising an outer ring 23 of channel form which embraces the opening 22?, an inner bearing ring 23 a series of cylindricalbearing members 23 mounted in complementary channels in the rings 23 andthese arms are" enlarged at their inner endslarly in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 9. These enlarged heads arepositioned within the hub 25 of a driving gear 25 which has its outer portion positioned between the two .radially extending flanges 22 and 22 are retained in place by an annular plate 29 and by the annular flange 30 of a housing 30 hereinafter referred to. The hub 25 of the driving gear 25 is provided with inwardly extending lugs or keys 25 which are tapered inwardly and which have a wedging engagement with the tapered grooves or keyways 16 which" are formed in the enlarged heads Hi of the outer segments.

The enlarged heads "i of theouter segments are shaped like the forward ends of these segments which have previously been described, each head It being'provided' with inwardly converging wedging surfaces l6, shown in Fig. 7, which are adapted to coact with outwardlyconverging wedging surfaces I! formed on each'of the enlarged heads I! of the inner segments. Inasmuch as the segments are arranged alternately, with the wedging surfaces I I of'one'head ll coacting with the wedging-surfaces l6 of two adjacent outer segments, it will be apparent that radial outward movement of the'heads 16 and ll will effect the radial expansion of the inner ends of the segments and cause the heads "i of the outer segments to expand into unitary interlocking engagement with the hub of the driving gear 25 by, virtue of the wedging engagement of the keys or lugs 25 with the tapered recesses "5 formed in the outer segments. V

As previously indicated, the radial expansion of the segments is effected by the expanding members I 8, l9 and '20 which-have wedging engagement with theinner segments only. The two forward expanding members I8 and I9 are v mounted upon the reduced forward portion 32 of a shaft or rod 32 and are spaced apart by a sleeve 33, the forward expanding member I8 being secured in position against the sleeve by a nut 34 which engages the threaded endof the rod. The expanding member 20 is mounted upon the rear reduced portion 32 ofthe rod or shaft and is held in place against the shoulder at the end of the central portion of this shaft by a nut 35 engaging a threadedportion of the shaft as shown in Fig. 1. Each of the expanding members l8, l9 and 20 is constructed inthe form of a frustum of a pyramid and the flat inclined faces fofreach'of these expanding members are adapted to coact with inclined wedging surfacesfOrmed upon the inner sides of the inner segments l1.

That is, the inclined wedging surfaces [8% oi the expa d member iii ar adapt d to. coact with the longitudinally inclined wedging surfaces H which are formed upon the inner sides of the forward ends of the inner segments I'I, while the opposite inclined wedging surfaces w of the expanding member 19 are adapted to coact with the longitudinally inclined wedging surfaces H which are formed upon the inner segments 11, and the opposite wedging surfaces Zll of the ex;- panding member 20 are adapted to coact with the longitudinally inclined wedging surfaces H which are formed upon the enlarged heads li of the inner ends of the inner segments IT. The inclined wedging surfaces l'l H and I? are of the same inclination with respect to the axis of the rod or shaft 32' and the inclined wedging surfaces l8 I9 and 2!) are of the same inclination with respect to the axis of this shaft so that, in all relative positions of the expanding members and the inner segments, the flat wedging surfaces of the members l8, I9 and 20 maintain their contacts with the inner fiat wedging surfaces l 1%., I1 and I'l By reason of the use of these flat wedging surfaces on the expanding members and on the inner projecting parts of the inner segments, it is possible to maintain substantial surface areas of contact between the expanding members and the inner segments in all stages of the expansion and contraction of the core.

The core is shown in its contracted condition in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the longitudinal movement of the rod 32 and of the expanding members toward the right, as viewed in that fig ure, to bring about the expansion of the core to the condition shown in Fig. l, is effected, in the embodiment illustrated, by fluid pressure, preferably compressed air, which is applied to a cylinder 30* forming a part of the housing 30 previouslly described. The reduced portion 32 of the rod extends into this cylinder through the end wall or head 30- thereof and this rod is ro-. tatably mounted in a piston 31. The reduced extremity 32 of the rod is secured in a thrust bearing unit 38 which is secured to the end of the rod by a washer 39 and a nut 48. A can 4! is secured to the piston 3'! over the nut 45 and the washer 39, forming a fluid-tight seal over these parts. Leather gaskets .fi are secured to the opposite faces of the piston 37 and coact with the inner wall of the cylinder 39. The piston 31 is provided with a tubular extension or sleeve 31 which extends through the head 38 of the cylinder where it is engaged on its outer side by a packing gland 42 which serves to compress the packing material 43 and thus form a fluid-tight joint around the sleeve 3? When this sleeve re.- ciprocates in the head 33. An end plate or head 44 is secured to the end of the cylinder iiil v and is so shaped as to accommodate the cap 4! when the piston 31 is in its extreme right-hand position as shown in Fig. 1.

The movement of the piston 31 to the position shown in Fig. 1 is effected by admitting come pressed air or the like through the pipe 45 which leads through the head 30 of the cylinder to the space around the sleeve 31 and this forces the rod 32 and the expanding members l8, l9 and 20 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby bringing about the radial outward movement of the segments H and the consequent radial outward movement of the outer segments Hi, all parts of which segments move uniformly with the outer surfaces 16* and I1 extending at all times parallel to the axis of rotation of the core. When it is desired to permit-the cont ac ion of the are. compresse air is; a mitted hrou h. t e p e st to the. space within he head .4., th re y. ausin the piston 3 and the, co ected parts to mo toward the, left to the position i Fi I de to p e en endwise movement of the se m nts dur n the last=mentio ed move ent; f the piston 31 a d of the expa d n m mbers l8. l9 and 1, t e enlar ed. heads i and. li of these se ments are secured to a. retainin plate 41. which is attached to the hub portion 25* of the driving gear by means of the studs 48. A series of head ess bolts or studs 49 are threaded into the ends of the heads I69 and ll of the segments and these studs enga e r dia elo a ed slots 48% which are f rmed in the retaining plate, as

shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 9. The. threaded ends of these studs 49 are engaged by lock nuts 50. which overlap the slots 68 and hold the segments of the core against endwise movement withrespect to the retainin plate 4.1 while permitting radial movement thereof when the core is expanded and, contracted. The plate 4! acts as a. base plate against which the ends of all of the segments are accurately positioned so that the adjacent longitudinally inclined wedging surfaces on the several inner segments properly line up with each other for engagement by the expanding members.

The movement of the expanding members I8, l9 and 20 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 merely permits the contraction of the segments of the core but does not positively effect that con-. traction and means are therefore provided for moving the segments positively inward when the expanding members are moved toward the left, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. This contraction might be effected in various ways as, for example, by the means shown in the copending applications above referred to, but it is preferred to bring about this contraction by the novel form of contracting means shown in the drawings which comprises a channel-shaped casing 52 which is mounted within the housing 22 and which is con structed in the form of a ring having its opening directed inwardly toward the core. On its upper side, the outer wall of this casing 52 is provided with openings to permit the passage of a steel cable 53 which is looped once around the segments of the core with one end attached to a socket mem-. ber pivotally connected to a pair of ears 22. formed on the casing 22 and with the other end portion extending through an opening 22' and attached by a coupling 54 to a, piston rod 55, as shown in Fig. 6. This piston rod is mounted to reciprocate in a packing joint 56 formed in the head 56 of a cylinder 56 and this piston rod has secured thereon within the cylinder a piston 51. The cylinder is closed at its other end by a head 56. Supply pipes 58 and 59 for compressed air or the like lead to the heads 56 and 56 and the compressed fluid admitted through these pipes effects the reciprocation of the piston 51 and the consequent expansion or contraction of the loop of the steel cable 53 which extends around the segments of the core within the casing 52. When compressed air is admitted through the pipe 58, the piston 51 moves toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 6, thereby contracting the cable around the segments and forcing them inwardly so thatthe portion of the core within the coil of material 2| is contracted to permit the removal of this coil. When compressed air is admitted through the pipe 59, the piston' 51 is moved in the other direction, thus pushing the cable 53 and causing'it to expand and move out of con tact with the outerarcuate surfaces of thesegments of the core. When the'segments of the core are contracted, it is necessary for the -porwere not hollowed out and the end portions of these wedging surfaces-have therefore been away as shown at I1 Q In order that the pistons 3'! and 5'! maybe operated in unison in the proper directions, the connections for supplying compressed air or other fluid to the cylinders 30 and 56 are preferably connected in the manner shown in Fig. and are operated by a common control'valve 50 to which compressed air or the like is supplied through a pipe 6|. An exhaust pipe '62 leads from this control valve and the pipes 55 and 59 are connected together and supplied with fluid from the valve through a'pipe 63. The other cylinder supply pipes and 58 are connected together and supplied from the valve til througha common supply pipe 64. With these connections, it will be apparent that upon turning the valve 60 to admit compressed air from the pipe 65 through the pipe 45 to the left-hand end of the cylinder 38, for the purpose of expanding the core, compressed air will at the same time be admitted'to the rightout hand end of thecylinder 56 thereby releasing the pressed air is admitted through the pipe 46 to move the expanding members. l8 and I9 and 28 towardlthe left, as'viewed in Figs. 1 and 10, compressed air will at the same time beadmitted through'the pipe 58 to the left-hand'end of the cylinder 55 and thus actuate the piston 51 to contract the cable 53 about the segments of the core.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a winding'reel of the type described in applicants copending application in which there is obtained a substantial area of surface contact between. the longitudinally movable expanding members and the wedging surfaces which are formed on the inner sides of the inner segments and that this substantial surface contact is maintained in all positions of the expanding members while, at the same time, the radial movements of the segments are eiTected without disturbing the parallel relationship of theouter arcuate surfaces I6 and I! of the segments and the axis of the core. The present invention also provides a rigid and unitary driving connection between the driving gear and the segments of the core when these segments are expanded and there is also provided a separate bearing headforthe segments which functions to support the core when the segments thereof are expanded. Although, in the embodiment illustrated, the bearing is located in proximity to the place where the coil is wound and the driving gear is positioned some distance away from the bearing support, the relative positions of these parts might be interchanged and the lengths of the arms 5 and FF of the segments might be substantially shortened in order to locate the bearing support and the driving connection in close proximity to each other. I

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in vari-j ous other embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the appended claims. 7 r 3 upon movement thereof in one direction and for permitting the contraction of said segments upon movement thereof ,in the opposite direction, and 7 means for positively contracting said segments uponmovement of said expanding mean in said opposite direction, said contractingimeans comprising a cable extending around saidsegments and adapted to be drawn taut upon movement of said expanding means in saidopposite direc-' tion. I y

2. The combination in a winding reel, ofa rotatable core comprising aplurality of radially adjustable segments upon which strip material is adapted to be wound, means movable longitudie nally of said core for expanding said segments upon movement thereof in one direction and for permitting the contraction of said segments upon movement thereof in the opposite direction,

1 means for positively contracting said segments and adapted to, be drawn taut upon'movement of said expanding means in said opposite direction, and means for drawing said cable taut and releasing it.

3. The combination in a winding reel, of a rotatable core comprising a plurality of radially adjustable segments upon which strip material is adapted to be wound, means movable longitudinally of said core for expanding said segments upon movement thereof in one direction and" for permitting the contraction of said segments upon movement thereof in the opposite direction, means for positively contracting said seg:

ments upon movement of said expanding means in said opposite direction, said contracting means comprising a cable extending around said segments and adapted to be drawn taut upon move ment of said expanding means in said opposite direction, and means acting in unison with the movements of said expanding meansfor' drawing said cable taut and releasing it.

4, The combinationin a winding reel, of an annular series of radially adjustable segments upon which strip material is adapted to be wound, an annular bearing and a ring gear surrounding said segments, some of said segments 7 having longitudinally inclined wedging'surfaces,

some of said wedging surfaces being located which stripmaterial is adapted to be wound, a ring gear surrounding the inner ends of said seg-' ments, means for effecting the radial expansion 7 of said segments Within said gear, a retaining.

plate attached to said gear and'extending across the ends of said segments, said plate being provided with radial slots and means engaging said slots and said segments for. effecting the endwise positioning of said segments while permitting radial movement thereof. 7 7

rotatable core comprising an annular series of outer segments and an annular series of inner segments, said segments of each series being arranged alternately with respect to those of the other series and having a plurality of pairs of similar wedging surfaces coacting with the wedging surfaces of the other series, said inner segments having inner wedging surfaces inclined longitudinally of the axis of the core, an expanding member movable longitudinally of the core and having inclined wedging surfaces coacting with said longitudinally inclined wedging surfaces on said inner segments, a driving gear having a hub surrounding said expanding member and portions of said segments, means for forming a driving connection between said hub and said outer segments while permitting relative radial movement therebetween, a retaining plate attached to said hub and extending radially inward at the ends of said segments, and means for connecting all of said segments to said plate and permitting radial movement of said segments with respect to the-axis of said core.

7. The combination in a winding reel, of an annular series of radially adjustable segments' upon which strip material is adapted to be Wound, a bearing ring surrounding said segments adjacent the place where said strip material is adapted to be wound, said bearing ring being adapted to engage said segments when they are expanded and to be spaced from said segments when they are contracted, a ring gear surrounding said segments at a place displaced longitudinally of said segments from said bearing ring and having a driving engagement with said segments in all radial positions of said segments, means for expanding said segments into engagement with said bearing ring and Within said ring gear, means for contracting said segments, and means for rotating said ring gear.

WILLIAM SCI-IROEDER. 

